LDF Lawyer Featured in News Coverage About Access to Elite High Schools

Damon Hewitt[3], Director of LDF’s Education Practice Group, was featured in a WNYC radio/www.Schoolbook.com story about LDF’s challenge to the admissions process for New York City’s elite Specialized High Schools.

“Last year almost 1000 students were offered admission to Stuyvesant, only 19 of those offers were to African American students,” said Damon Hewitt . . . “I don’t believe there are only 19 brilliant African-American students rising from 8th to 9th grade.”

In September 2012, LDF filed a federal civil rights complaint challenging the city’s discriminatory admissions policy, alleging that it ignores true merit and blocks access to many talented and qualified students. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened an official investigation in light of LDF’s complaint. The New York City Department of Education plans to announce the latest round of high school placement decisions this week.